Opera Mandarin

Chinese New Year is a time to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate any negative chi from the past. January 23rd marked the first day of the Year of the Water Dragon, the Year 4709 on the Chinese Lunar calendar.

So, on January 21st, AWAP members and spouses got dressed in their chic-est Chinese outfits to celebrate the Year of the Dragon at the Opera Mandarin Restaurant. We indulged in an 11-course traditional Chinese feast, including such delicacies as lobster dumplings, Peking Duck (served 3 ways), fresh, steamed sea bass, and tong yuan (glutinous rice balls in a sweet broth) for dessert. By the end of the evening, all 37 guests definitely fulfilled one common new year’s wish — for an abundance of food.

Everyone enjoyed chatting with each other over wine and delicious Chinese food in a familial atmosphere, and we welcomed many members who aren’t usually able to attend our weekday events. So, it looks like we’ll have to organize more evening events out!

For those of you who missed the dinner, you can click on the following link for a history of the Chinese New Year celebration, and a list of common Chinese New Year greetings, which we handed out that night. Say as many of them as you can to everyone you see in the first 15 days of the New Year, and it will bring you good luck!